TED Radio Hour

By NPR

To listen to an audio podcast, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to download and subscribe to podcasts.

Description

The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme – such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections. The TED Radio Hour is hosted by Guy Raz, and is a co-production of NPR & TED. Follow the show @TEDRadioHour.

Name

Description

Released

Price

1

CleanFailure Is An Option

Failure can be devastating, but it can also make us stronger and smarter. This week, TED speakers explore how failure clears the way for success, in our everyday work, and our innermost lives. Guests include entrepreneur Astro Teller, economist Tim Harford, business leader Casey Gerald, and writer Lidia Yuknavitch. (Original broadcast date: July 29, 2016)

Design is all around us, but much of it could be better, bolder, more elegant. This episode, TED speakers on the essence of good design in buildings, brands, the digital realm and the natural world. Guests include computer engineer Tony Fadell, architect Marc Kushner, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, design critic Alice Rawsthorn, and science writer Janine Benyus. (Original broadcast date: May 20, 2016)

In this episode, we explore ways to find quiet in our busy lives. How can we step back and make time to reflect in an increasingly distracted and hurried world? (Original broadcast date: November 21, 2014)

How much of who we are is biology? How much is learned? And how much can we change? This hour, TED speakers on how genes and experience collaborate — and compete — to make us who we are. Guests include neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, epigeneticist Moshe Szyf, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, and psychologist Brian Little.

Cancer is merciless. It can strike any time, spread without warning, and return unannounced. In this hour, TED speakers reframe not only how we treat cancer, but how we live with it and survive it. Guests include cancer technologist Jorge Soto, Dr. David Agus, Dr. Jay Bradner, Dr. Dean Ornish, and minister Debra Jarvis. (Original broadcast date: July 31, 2015)

For most of modern history, humans have placed smaller humans in institutions called schools. But what parts of this model still work? And what must change? This hour, TED speakers rethink education.TED speakers include teacher Tyler DeWitt, social entrepreneur Sal Khan, international education expert Andreas Schleicher, and educator Linda Cliatt-Wayman.

We live our lives by the calendar and the clock, but time is also an abstraction, even an illusion. In this hour, TED speakers explore how our sense of time changes depending on who and where we are. Guests include director Cesar Kuriyama, poet Rives, psychologist Dan Gilbert, psychologist Laura Carstensen, and cosmologist Sean Carroll. (Original broadcast date: June 19, 2015)

Most of us were raised to believe that tolerance is a good thing, but is it enough or just the bare minimum? This hour, TED speakers on how to move beyond tolerance to a place of deeper understanding. Guests include social scientist Arthur Brooks, diversity advocate Verna Myers, author Aspen Baker, and social entrepreneur and educator Aziz Abu Sarah. (Original broadcast date: April 22, 2016)

We often know how to plan for the future, but find it hard to take the necessary steps. This hour, TED speakers challenge the inevitable and explore what to do today to prepare ourselves for tomorrow.TED speakers include neuroscientists Daniel Levitin and Rebecca Brachman, writer (and neuroscientist) Lisa Genova, epidemiologist Seth Berkley, and behavioral economist Daniel Goldstein.

Moments of crisis can upend our lives, but can also help define them. This episode, TED speakers explore how a quick, compassionate or unexpected response can turn crisis into opportunity. Guests include physician Ken Kamler, motivational speaker Matt Weinstein, Melissa Fleming of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, activist Nancy Lublin and photojournalist Kitra Cahana. (Original broadcast date: April 1, 2016)

We live in a time where the line between fact and fiction is increasingly blurry — where each us can live in a constructed reality. This hour, TED speakers share insights on navigating a world where even the facts are up for debate. TED speakers include historian Deborah Lipstadt, writer Michael Specter, cybersecurity expert Laura Galante, journalist Stephanie Busari, and writer Carrie Poppy.

Many of us are lured by the promise of self-improvement, but find it hard to follow through. In our 100th episode, TED speakers reveal ways to discover our better selves, from simple hacks to deep introspection. TED speakers include entrepreneur Jia Jiang, Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe, psychologist Emily Balcetis, technologist Matt Cutts, and New York Times columnist David Brooks.

Success has become synonymous with financial wealth, influence and status. But can we define success in another way — one that welcomes a broader range of accomplishment? It may not be as obvious as you think. In this hour, TED speakers share ideas for what makes us successful. TED speakers include Professor Angela Duckworth, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, HealthTap CEO Ron Gutman, Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe, and writer Alain de Botton (Original Broadcast Date: November 1, 2013).

In this hour, TED speakers talk about what it takes to become a leader and shake up the status quo. TED speakers include Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, General Stanley McChrystal, educator Bunker Roy, entrepreneur and writer Seth Godin, and leadership advocate Drew Dudley. (Original broadcast date: January 17, 2014)

When loss, violence or betrayal test our willingness to forgive — how do we do it anyway? This hour, TED speakers explore the challenges and benefits of forgiving others and ourselves. TED speakers include Sue Klebold, Thordis Elva, Tom Stranger, and Elizabeth Lesser.

What allows us to endure our darkest moments? What does it take to show resilience in the face of adversity? In this hour, TED speakers explore the outer limits of inner strength. (Original Broadcast Date: February 11, 2016).

In this hour, TED speakers explore our origins as a species — who we are, where we come from, where we're headed — and how we're connected to everything that came before us. (Original Broadcast Date: October 24, 2014).

Cities are among our greatest experiments in human co-habitation. Do they also hold the answers to some of our biggest problems? This hour, TED speakers explore how cities can change the world. (Original Broadcast Date: January 08, 2016).

The era of open source has led to countless innovations. When does it work and when is it chaos? In this episode, TED speakers explore how open source is changing how we build, collaborate and govern. (Original Broadcast Date: October 23, 2015).

We communicate with each other in all sorts of ways. In this hour, TED speakers reflect on how words and methods of communication affect us, more than you might expect. (Original Broadcast Date: December 13, 2013).

Where do stereotypes come from? Why do some perceptions persist, and is there any truth or value to the assumptions we make? In this hour, TED speakers examine the consequences of stereotypes. (Original broadcast date: November 14, 2014)

When we go online, we present a digital version of ourselves. How do we transform when we interact inside our screens? In this episode, TED speakers explore the expanding role of our "second selves." (Original broadcast date: September 18, 2015).

It's normal for us to always be glued to our screens. So how are they changing us, and how will they shape our future? This hour, TED speakers explore our ambivalent relationships with our screens. (Original broadcast date: September 11, 2015).

From the Odyssey, to Robinson Crusoe, to Star Wars — why are we drawn to stories about heroes? And what do they tell us about ourselves? This hour, TED speakers explore what makes a hero's journey. (Original broadcast date: December 18, 2015).

Compassion is a universal virtue, but is it innate or taught? Have we lost touch with it? Can we be better at it? In this hour, TED speakers explore compassion: its roots, its meaning and its future. (Original broadcast date: December 19, 2014).

Some of our most powerful feelings — stress, depression, despair — are the hardest to understand. This hour, TED speakers challenge assumptions about emotion, disquiet and the essence of well-being. (Original broadcast date: November 6, 2015).

In a world with limited resources, can we find ways to salvage what's disappearing? Can we innovate our way out of a finite landscape? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about living with less. (Original broadcast date: July 17, 2015).

Humans adapt to physical and creative challenges in remarkable ways. How do we do it, and what happens when we can't? In this episode, TED speakers share inspiring stories about our capacity to adapt. (Original broadcast date: November 20, 2015).

Love it or hate it, most of us have to work for a living. So, how can we make work more meaningful? This hour, TED speakers explore our values and motivations when it comes to the workplace. (Original broadcast date: October 10, 2015).

Love is instinctive and essential, but what is it that brings certain people together? In this hour, TED speakers examine the mystery of connection and relationships. (Original broadcast date: April 25, 2014).

What does it take to survive, even thrive, when you're a complete amateur? This hour, TED speakers share stories of plunging — or being plunged — into new situations and emerging as experts. (Original broadcast date: August 14, 2015).

Listening — to loved ones, strangers, faraway places — is an act of generosity and a source of discovery. In this episode, TED speakers describe how we change when we listen deeply. (Original broadcast date: June 5, 2015).

Let's face it: people lie. We lie to each other and to ourselves. Is there a deeper reason why we do it? In this episode, TED speakers deconstruct the hard truths of deception. (Original broadcast date: June 20, 2014).

Brands help us assign value to almost everything we buy. But is there a way to know the difference between real and created value? In this episode, TED speakers explore the seductive power of brands. (Original broadcast date: May 9, 2014).

Aging is inevitable. We can slow it down a little, but could we ever bring it to a grinding halt? In this episode, TED speakers explore how we all might live longer and even better lives. (Original broadcast date: May 22, 2015).

From Little League to the Olympics, athletic mastery plays a major role in our sense of achievement. This hour, TED speakers explore the minds and bodies of champions who achieve extraordinary feats. (Original broadcast date: July 18, 2014).

Math intimidates a lot of us, but it can deliver surprising answers to life's pressing questions. In this episode, TED speakers discuss the elegant simplicity, and giddy complexity, of solving for X (Original broadcast date: March 6, 2015)

When is copying flattery, when is it thievery, and when is it sheer genius? In this hour, TED speakers explore how sampling, borrowing and riffing make all of us innovators. (Original broadcast date: June 27, 2014)

The brain can seem as mysterious as a distant galaxy, but scientists are starting to map and manipulate its many regions. In this hour, TED speakers take us on a trip through the human brain. (Original broadcast date: February 20, 2015)

Who should get to keep secrets, and who should demand to know them? In this hour, TED speakers talk about the damage secrets can do, and the shifting roles we play when we keep, or share them. (Original broadcast date: January 23, 2015)

How far would you go to find something that's just out of reach, or maybe not even real? In this hour, TED speakers tell stories about searching for elusive sea creatures and distant aliens. (Original broadcast date: January 9, 2015).

What does it mean to be courageous? Is it an automatic response or a conscious choice? This hour, TED speakers examine the nature of courage and what it takes to risk everything to do the right thing. (Original broadcast date: December 12, 2014)

Even the most seemingly chaotic systems have some order to them. This episode, TED speakers explore the inner architecture of living systems, from ant colonies to corporations to social movements. (Original broadcast date: April 24, 2015)

Compassion is a universal virtue, but is it innate or taught? Have we lost touch with it? Can we be better at it? In this hour, TED speakers explore compassion: its roots, its meaning and its future. (Original broadcast date: December 19, 2014)

In this episode, we explore ways to find quiet in our busy lives. How can we step back and make time to reflect in an increasingly distracted and hurried world? (Original broadcast date: November 21, 2014)

In this hour, TED speakers explore our origins as a species — who we are, where we come from, where we're headed — and how we're connected to everything that came before us. (Original broadcast date: October 24, 2014)

We want to be creative, but channeling our creative impulses is no small feat. Is creativity something we are born with, or can we learn it? In this hour TED speakers examine the mystery of creativity. (Original broadcast date: October 3, 2014)

Are we simply the sum of our experiences? Or can we choose our own path? In this hour, TED speakers share stories of undergoing remarkable transformations despite extraordinary challenges. (Original broadcast date: September 19, 2014)

Why do some people spend years trying to answer a single question, or even risk their lives to discover something new? In this hour, TED speakers describe how curiosity leads to unexpected places. (Original broadcast date: September 12, 2014)

Is identity assigned at birth? Shaped by circumstance? Or is it something we choose? This hour, TED speakers describe their journeys to answer the question: who am I? (Original broadcast date: October 11, 2013)

From Little League to the Olympics, athletic mastery plays a major role in our sense of achievement. This hour, TED speakers explore the minds and bodies of champions who achieve extraordinary physical feats. (Original broadcast date: July 18, 2014)

Stories ignite our imagination, let us leap over cultural walls and cross the barriers of time. In this hour, TED speakers explore the art of storytelling — and how good stories have the power to transform our perceptions of the world. (Original broadcast date: June 7, 2013)

Let's face it: people lie. We lie to each other and to ourselves. Is there a deeper reason why we do it? In this episode, TED speakers deconstruct the hard truths of deception. (Original broadcast date: June 20, 2014)

Does something serious happen when we play? In this episode, TED speakers describe how all forms of amusement — tossing a ball to video games — can make us smarter, saner and more collaborative. Comedian Charlie Todd and his group Improv Everywhere choreograph bizarre, hilarious and unexpected public scenes, creating whimsical opportunities for total strangers to play together. Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing and fantasy are more than just fun; humans are hard-wired to play. He came to this conclusion after conducting some somber research about the stark childhoods of murderers. Primatologist Isabel Behncke explains how bonobo apes learn by constantly playing. She says play isn't frivolous; it appears to be a critical way to solve problems and avoid conflict. When video game researcher Jane McGonigal was bedridden after a concussion, she gave herself a prescription: play a game. She says games helped her get better; and for many of us, virtual games can improve our real lives.

Even the most original ideas are essentially remixes. When is copying flattery, when is it thievery, and when is it sheer genius? In this hour, TED speakers explore how sampling, borrowing, and riffing make all of us innovators. Sampling music isn't about "hijacking nostalgia wholesale," says DJ Mark Ronson. It's about inserting yourself into the narrative of a song while also pushing that story forward. Filmmaker Kirby Ferguson says nothing is original and that our most celebrated creators steal ideas — and transform them into something new. Clothing designs aren't protected by copyright --and the industry benefits by being more innovative, says Johanna Blakley. People often credit their ideas to individual "Eureka!" moments. But writer Steven Johnson shows how history tells a different story.

We communicate with each other in all sorts of ways, spoken and unspoken. But how did the origins of language influence action, and can words actually change human behavior, even alter the course of history? In this hour, TED speakers reflect on how our words and methods of communication affect us, more than you might expect. Linguist John McWhorter says that texting has come of age with such speed and force that it's created an entirely new language within a generation. Biologist Mark Pagel believes our complex language system is a piece of "social technology", simply created to help us get things done. Teacher Phuc Tran tells a personal story of how being caught in a world between the subjunctive and indicative tense — yes, grammar — helped him find his identity. Etymologist Mark Forsyth shares the surprising backstory of the word "president." Social psychologist Amy Cuddy explains how "power posing" can affect our brains, and might even have an impact on our success.

Math intimidates a lot of us, but it can deliver surprising answers to life's most pressing questions. In this episode, TED speakers discuss the elegant simplicity, and giddy complexity, of solving for X. Writer Randall Munroe doesn't love math, but has made a career out of solving equations. By answering outlandish hypotheticals, he uses numbers as a playground for the imagination. Polymath Terry Moore wondered why "X" is the universal unknown in Algebra. He dove into the history of numbers to come up with an unexpected answer. Percussionist Clayton Cameron dissects the mathematics of improvisational jazz, discovering how numerical patterns make him a better musician. Entrepreneur and artist Kevin Slavin shows how algorithms can reshape finance, culture and physical environments, with potentially harmful consequences. Mathematician Hannah Fry says math can help you find love. Using mathematical models, she explains how to find an ideal mate and the secret to maintaining a healthy relationship.

Success has become synonymous with financial wealth, influence and status. But can we define success in another way — one that welcomes a broader range of accomplishment? It may not be as obvious as you think. In this hour, TED speakers share ideas for what makes us successful. Life coach Tony Robbins describes why failure should not be an option. Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth says "grit", not IQ, is the new predictor of success. Mike Rowe encourages us not to follow our passion. Ron Gutman shares some compelling research on the hidden power of smiling. And writer Alain de Botton shares a fascinating view about the American paradigm for success and failure.

The brain can seem as mysterious as a distant galaxy, but scientists are starting to map and manipulate its many regions. In this hour, TED speakers take us on a trip through the human brain. When neuroanatomist Jill Bolte-Taylor felt her brain shut down during a stroke, she was more fascinated than panicked. Even though she spent eight years recovering, she’s grateful for the stroke. Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel turns brains into soup, so she can meticulously count the neurons, and determine why human brains are unique. Nancy Kanwisher studies the brain partly by staring at her own. She’s spent countless hours in an fMRI scanner, mapping her own brain to gain insight into what makes us human. Neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe explains how one region in the brain focuses on other people’s thoughts. Philosopher David Chalmers asks why humans have a sense of self, a constantly-running movie full of sensation and internal chatter. He offers two ideas about the nature of consciousness.

Love is instinctive and essential. We need it to keep our species going, to survive childhood, to create bonds with other people. But what is it that brings certain people together? In this hour, TED speakers examine the mystery of connection and relationships. Amy Webb was having no luck with online dating, until she effectively hacked the system. Anthropologist Helen Fisher questions what happens in our brains when we're in love. Therapist Esther Perel says a good relationship draws on both security and surprise. Writer Jeffrey Kluger explores the profound life-long bond between siblings. Angela Patton tells the story of a unique father-daughter dance.

Seven TED speakers muse about the seven deadly sins: Psychologist Christopher Ryan says human beings are sexual omnivores, and a more nuanced understanding of fidelity may tamp down our shame about lust. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett explains how his city sidestepped gluttony and collectively dropped one million pounds. Activist Dave Meslin says even though we’re apathetic about local politics, we’re hardly sloths. Dr. Gary Slutkin tracks violence, the destructive sibling of wrath. He says if we think of violence as a contagious disease, we can better contain it. Nick Hanauer is a rich guy with at least five houses, but is he greedy? He argues taxing the very rich and increasing the minimum wage would be good for everyone. Editor Parul Sehgal says literature would hardly exist without the “grim thrill” of envy. Jeopardy Know-it-All Ken Jennings reveals how losing to a supercomputer crushed his pride.

Human beings have a fine-tuned sense of fear. But how do we distinguish between fear and danger? How do we decide which fears are rational and irrational? In this hour, TED speakers explore what it means to be afraid, and how we calm ourselves down — or don’t — when we’re terrified. Astronaut and retired colonel Chris Hadfield discusses how to prepare your mind for the unexpected, and the worst. Through the story of the whaleship Essex, novelist Karen Thompson Walker describes how our most vivid fears are often not the most realistic. Folk singer Joe Kowan talks about the visceral, body-hijacking experience he feels when he’s performing in front of an audience, and how a song helped him cope with stage fright. Illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine reveals how he has made a career out of fearlessly performing death-defying feats. Philosopher Stephen Cave delves into the simple question: Why are human beings afraid to die?

Who should get to keep secrets, and who should demand to know them? In this hour, TED speakers talk about the damage secrets can do, and the shifting roles we play when we keep, or share them. "Secrets...can be shocking, or silly, or soulful," says Frank Warren, the founder of PostSecret. He shares a few of the half-million secrets that strangers have sent him on postcards. Equality advocate Ash Beckham offers a fresh story about empathy and openness — and it involves pancakes. Charmian Gooch's mission is to “out” corrupt companies. She details how global corruption trackers follow the money — to some surprisingly familiar places. Journalist Glenn Greenwald makes the case for why you need to care about privacy, even if you’re “not doing anything to hide."

Brands help us assign value to almost everything we buy. But is there a way to know the difference between real and created value? In this episode, TED speakers explore the seductive power of brands. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock tells the story of his quest to make a completely sponsored film — about sponsorship. Psychologist Paul Bloom argues that our beliefs about the history of an object change how we perceive it. Consultant Joseph Pine says we’ll pay more for an experience that feels “real.” Marketer Rory Sutherland explains how rebranding changed the potato forever.

How far would you go to find something that's just out of reach, or maybe, not even real? In this hour, TED speakers tell stories about searching for elusive sea-creatures and distant aliens. SETI astronomer Seth Shostak says we're likely to find proof of intelligent life in the universe over the next few decades. Oceanographer Edith Widder explains how innovative technology helped her capture the reclusive giant squid on video. Chef Dan Barber talks about his quest to find a delectable, yet sustainable, fish. Finally, humorist John Hodgman looks hard for aliens too, but finds love instead.

There are some truths that we believe in wholeheartedly — but what if we’re completely wrong? Once we separate fact from fiction, how do our perceptions change? In this hour, TED speakers move beyond conventional wisdom to reveal complex realities about what we think we know to be true. Author Malcolm Gladwell reveals an alternative account of David and Goliath that flips the story on its head. Reporter Jennifer 8. Lee talks about her hunt for the actual origins of Chinese-American food. Ecologist Allan Savory counters everything conventional wisdom tells us about how grasslands lose their life to desertification. Reporter Leslie T. Chang debunks how we assume Chinese factory workers feel. Psychologist Barry Schwartz says having more options doesn't make us happier — it actually paralyzes us.

Memory is malleable, dynamic and elusive. When we tap into our memories, where is the line between fact and fiction? How does our memory play tricks on us, and how can we train it to be more accurate? In this hour, TED speakers discuss how a nimble memory can improve your life, and how a frail one might ruin someone else's. Forensic psychologist Scott Fraser argues that in a criminal trial, even close-up eyewitnesses can create "memories" they may not have seen. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explains how our experiences and our memories perceive happiness differently. Writer Joshua Foer shows how anyone can achieve amazing feats of memory, including him.

Compassion is considered a universal virtue, but is it innate or taught? Have we lost touch with it? And can we become better at it? In this hour, TED speakers explore compassion, its roots, its meaning and its future. Political pundit Sally Kohn says we shouldn’t worry so much about being politically correct, but instead should try to be emotionally correct. Journalist and broadcaster Krista Tippett argues that overtly saintly and sappy connotations have made us lose touch with the true meaning of compassion — so she proposes a ‘linguistic revival.’ Author Robert Wright explains that humans are not only wired to be compassionate, but we have evolved to feel compassion out of self-interest. Religion scholar Karen Armstrong explains how compassion is the core principle in all world religions — in the form of the Golden Rule. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, examines why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.

What does it mean to be courageous? Is it an automatic response or a conscious choice? In this hour, TED speakers examine the nature of courage and what it takes to risk everything to do the right thing. Margaret Heffernan looks at why we keep ourselves from seeing injustices, and the courage it takes to stand up and combat them. As a war reporter, Janine di Giovanni goes to some of the most dangerous places on earth and tells the story people who demonstrate courage daily. Kimberly Motley defends Afghan women and girls forced into marriage or wrongly accused of adultery, and she does this without a bodyguard, a headscarf or speaking the language. Leana Wen has launched a campaign to expose systemic corruption in the medical field, despite threats from fellow doctors.

What does money tell us about human nature? How does it motivate, trick, satisfy and disappoint us? In this hour, TED speakers share insights into our relationship with money. Psychologist Laurie Santos studies human irrationality by observing how primates make decisions — including some not-so-savvy money choices their human relatives often make. Behavioral economist Keith Chen says languages that don’t have a future tense strongly correlate with higher savings. Social psychologist Paul Piff describes how almost anyone’s behavior can change when they’re made to feel rich. Career analyst and writer Daniel Pink explains why traditional rewards like money aren't always successful motivators. Social scientist Michael Norton researches how money can buy happiness — the key is social spending that benefits not just you, but other people.

Some people might only dream of adventure, but for others, there’s no other option but to explore the most extreme places on Earth. From the deepest caves to rough oceans, from the North Pole to dizzying heights on a high wire -- what drives adventurers to constantly push to the brink of human endurance? In this hour, TED speakers share their experiences of going to the edge of our world. Arctic explorer Ben Saunders recounts his harrowing solo ski trek to the North Pole. Engineer and daredevil caver Bill Stone pushes the frontier to the remotest depths of the Earth. Roz Savage quit her high-powered job to become an ocean rower. High-wire artist Philippe Petit tells the amazing story of how he walked between the Twin Towers.

In this episode, we explore ways to find quiet in our busy lives. How can we make a conscious effort to seek out stillness and calm in a fast-paced and increasingly noisy world? Environmentalist John Francis shares the lessons he learned after not speaking a word for 17 years. Writer Susan Cain talks about the value of introverts, people who draw their energy from quieter, more low-key social interactions. Singer Megan Washington explains how singing quiets the part of her brain that makes her stutter. Cloudspotter Gavin Pretor-Pinney advocates slowing down for a moment to notice the beauty of clouds. Author Pico Iyer suggests it is our reflective moments that give life its meaning.